The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica), native to Japan, is a major invasive species in North America and Europe. Its colonization of Europe began on the Azores (1970s), followed by Italy (2014) and southern Switzerland (2017). In 2023, the presence of the pest was reported in three areas of Switzerland: Kloten (Canton of Zürich, north-eastern Switzerland), Basel (Canton of Basel-Landschaft, northern Switzerland), and in eastern Canton of Valais (South Switzerland) near the Italian border. In 2024, P. japonica individuals were discovered in several other Swiss Cantons. To trace P. japonica spread and origins in Switzerland, we investigated 42 individuals from infested areas, comprising scattered findings across Switzerland. Phylogenetic and population structure analyses using whole-genome resequencing, including data of previously sequenced samples from Japan, North America, the Azores, Italy, and Southern Switzerland, revealed distinct P. japonica migration patterns. Populations in Basel, Valais, and central Switzerland likely originated from Ticino/Northern Italy via road or rail transport. Conversely, the population near Zürich Airport was identified as an independent introduction from North America, likely through unintentional air transport. These findings offer insights into P. japonica spread across Switzerland, highlighting the need for enhanced monitoring and identification of invasion pathways.

The lack of a full automation and control of environmental parameters might result in potential risk of microbial contamination in small-scale production plants such as artisanal cheese and salami Italian productions. In a previous study, genomes of 33 E. coli isolates were sequenced. In the present study, the pathogenicity potential of E. coli strains was investigated by: (1) phylogenomic comparison with 202 public genomes of human, animal and environmental Italian origin; (2) pathogenicity assessment of strains with virulence patterns predicting specific E. coli pathotypes by using larvae of Galleria mellonella as in vivo infection model. Phylogenetic reconstruction revealed raw material and not the processing environment as source of salami contamination. Moreover, close proximity of some strains isolated from salami production with wild boar and extraintestinal human public strains was observed suggesting pigs and wild boar as potential reservoirs of pathogenic E. coli. The virulome of salami strains revealed the presence of genes already described as gene markers of atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (aEPEC; bfp-, eae+). Interestingly the analysis of virulence genes pointed toward additional genomes which showed genetic markers previously described as strongly associated to and/or extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC). In vivo experiments, confirmed the higher pathogenicity of strain 5STM5 with genetic pattern corresponding to hybrid aEPEC/ExPEC and two strains 3CP1522 and 6MB5 of cheese and salami production, respectively, with virulence genes previously associated to ExPEC pathotype. The combined approach pointed toward two genes espC for aEPEC, as well as malX for ExPEC which were significantly enriched in clinical genomes in comparison to genomes of other origins. These genes are worth of future investigations which could help to assess the risk for consumers after the consumption of contaminated artisanal food.

ABSTRACT The French Religious Protectorate enabled France to act as the guardian of Catholics in China. After the 1858 Treaty of Tientsin, it protected Catholic missions and missionaries and was accepted as a diplomatic arrangement by the main international actors. While not being a signatory to the Protectorate, the Catholic Church complied with its terms and accepted French diplomatic representation in matters of Chinese affairs. The agreement involved all missionaries from different countries in China, including those of Italian origin. Inevitably, over time, the Protectorate became a controversial question because it exposed the Church’s pastoral mission to interferences from foreign powers. In November 1928, Italy signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce with China, enhancing political relations under Chiang Kai-shek’s leadership. It was the beginning of a new age of cooperation and reciprocities based on strong political affinities. A few months later, on 11 February 1929, Italy and the Holy See signed the Lateran Pacts, reestablishing diplomatic relations after Rome’s annexation to the Kingdom in 1870. Benito Mussolini saw the importance of aligning with the Church to gain the support of Catholics and strengthen his leadership. These agreements bolstered cooperation between the regime and the Church in domestic and international affairs. In China, the cooperation allowed the Church to gradually shift away from French diplomatic interference and finally attempt to connect, free of constraints, with the Chinese Nationalist government.

ABSTRACT This study investigates the racialisation of urban spaces in Parma, an Italian city, through embodied experiences of Black individuals with immigrant backgrounds. Using walking conversations, it examines how sensory cues interact with public discourses to racialise urban environments, shaping perceptions of inclusion and exclusion. Media narratives amplify discomfort among long-term residents of Italian origin by associating sensory markers linked to immigrant presence with degradation and insecurity, transforming these spaces into contested sensory landscapes. Conversely, racialised individuals navigate these spaces with experiences from exclusion to cultural affirmation, which can both reinforce and challenge racialised representations. The study underscores the agency and resistance of racialised residents, who adopt tactics such as renaming spaces and engaging in sensory practices to reclaim urban environments. By adopting a multisensory approach, it deepens understanding of how racialised boundaries are produced, experienced, and contested, offering a framework for exploring race–space dynamics.

Uncovering the genetic basis of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) can enhance both diagnostic accuracy and the development of targeted treatment strategies. To evaluate the association between a homozygous nonsense variant in CREB3 with IRDs. Thirteen patients with a clinical diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa or cone-rod degeneration were analyzed by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and whole-exome sequencing (WES). Clinically, patients presented with 2 main phenotypes, rod-cone and cone-rod dystrophies, demonstrating variable electrophysiological and fundoscopic findings. Expression analysis was performed on patient-derived skin fibroblasts using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis, and by interrogating previously published retinal single-cell RNA sequence data. Immunohistochemistry staining was performed on wild-type mouse retinal sections using an anti-CREB3 antibody. Patients with variable phenotypes of IRDs were recruited from 3 medical centers in Israel and Italy. Ophthalmologists clinically diagnosed patients at the relevant medical centers and referred them for genetic screening. WES and WGS were performed at different national and international centers, and the findings of the previously unreported gene were shared between investigators. CREB3 and IRDs. The main outcome was evidence supporting an association between CREB3 and IRD. Measures included WES, WGS, and immunohistochemistry staining. A founder homozygous nonsense variant in CREB3 (c.881G>A, p.Trp294*) was identified in 13 patients from 4 unrelated families; 12 descendent from North-African Jewish origins and 1 from Italian origins. All patients manifested retinal degeneration with varying ages at onset. In patient-derived fibroblasts, the variant mRNA transcript generated a truncated CREB3 protein. Expression analysis and immunohistochemistry staining revealed CREB3 RNA and protein expression in various retinal cell types, indicating its vital role in photoreceptor function. This study found an association between CREB3 and IRDs. CREB3 was previously shown to be upregulated following ultraviolet radiation. This might contribute to the extensive clinical variability observed in this relatively large cohort of homozygous patients with the same truncated variant.

A group of masters who worked at the court of the French king Francis I and his successors left a bright mark on the fine art of the Renaissance. The object of the current study is a female nude portrait as part of the heritage of the Fontainebleau School. The Italian origins of this genre are traced, an attempt is made to explain the reasons for its special popularity in France in the XVIth century; sources of iconography are determined, stylistic features of some portraits and their connection with the tradition of Gothic and early French Renaissance art are analyzed. The author proposes to consider the female portraits made by the masters of the School of Fontainebleau in terms of belonging to the court culture including the festive one.

This article explores the anthroponymy of descendants of Italian settlers in Crimea and its connection to the cultural and ethnic identity of Italians, which has evolved over the 20th and 21st centuries. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the peculiarities of anthroponymy among Crimean Italians from a historical perspective, particularly concerning naming practices and name changes. The research draws on data from sociolinguistic interviews conducted with members of the Italian community in 2024. The analysis is framed within an emic approach. It is shown that in the early 20th century, names of Italian origin predominated within the community, whereas during the 1940s, due to deportation and a partial renunciation of identity, the use of Italian names sharply declined. Currently, there is a resurgence of interest in Italian names, indicating a growing connection to national roots. The study concludes that the choice of ethnically marked names is linked to the process of returning to Italian cultural identity. The novelty of this research lies in its introduction of data on the list of proper names (personal names) and the dynamics of their usage within the Italian community of Crimea into scholarly discourse.

Portrait miniatures featuring semi-transparent costume overlays have been the subject of limited academic scrutiny, primarily associated with royalist and Catholic propaganda during the English Revolution. Most extant portraits depict female sitters, identified as queens, early actresses, and royal mistresses. Previous scholarship, predominantly focused on England, France, and other northern European countries, has emphasized the influence of court theater, masques, and noble entertainments in interpreting these works. While acknowledging these theoretical premises, this study proposes an alternative origin for portraits with costume overlays. Through a careful analysis of Filippo Baldinucci’s (1624–1696) Notizie dei Professori del Disegno, this paper aims to demonstrate the Italian origins of this artistic genre. The development of this unique form of amusement can be attributed to Baccio Del Bianco (1604–1657). Baldinucci, who advised Cardinal Leopoldo de’ Medici on purchasing and collecting Old Masters’ works, does not categorize mica-overlaid portraits as fine art. Nevertheless, he commends their “utility” for the “intended audience.” This study posits that these works should be interpreted as instruments for gender role-play, disseminated throughout Europe by influential women. The phenomenon originated in Florence during a period of female regency, which significantly influenced various aspects of local artistic production.

Few data are available on the forgiveness of 2-drug (2DR) or low-barrier 3-drug antiretroviral regimens. The aim of this study is to evaluate the real-life forgiveness of lamivudine/dolutegravir (3TC/DTG) and emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide/rilpivirine (FTC/TAF/RPV). A 2-center retrospective observational study enrolled all people with HIV treated with 3TC/DTG or FTC/TAF/RPV. Adherence was measured as the proportion of days covered (PDC) by drug supply. Binary logistic regression was used to test the impact of baseline variables and adherence on the achievement of virological suppression. In total, 1258 adult people with HIV were enrolled, 368 in 3TC/DTG and 890 in FTC/TAF/RPV. Most were men (71%), with a median age of 51 years (IQR 43-58 years) and a median CD4 nadir of 305 cells/mcL (IQR 132-485). Median cohort follow-up was 4558 persons/year. Median adherence, as calculated from PDC, was of 0.98 (IQR 0.93-1). Regardless of the treatment group, a PDC of 0.8 was sufficient to achieve HIV-RNA levels below 200 copies/mL in almost all study participants. With the same level of adherence, >90% of study participants achieved HIV-RNA below 50 copies/mL. PDC ( P < 0.0001), Italian origin ( P < 0.0001), and male sex ( P = 0.038) were significantly correlated with achieving <200 copies/mL. In this study, we found a similar and high level of forgiveness with the INSTI-based 2-drug regimen 3TC/DTG and the NNRTI-based 3-drug regimen FTC/TAF/RPV.

ABSTRACT Tulipa sylvestris is a tulip species with yellow fragrant flowers that was introduced to Northern Europe from the Mediterranean region in the 16th century. Two and a half centuries later, the plant was described as naturalized and had found its place in and outside many gardens of Europe. Today, it is the only tulip species that grows wild in Northern Europe. Two main routes have been described for the16th-century introduction: one from Italy, around Bologna, and one from France, around Montpellier. We explore the further introduction and naturalization history of T. sylvestris in the Netherlands and Northern Europe in the 17th to the 19th century, providing an overview of mentions in herbaria, florilegia, catalogues, seed lists of botanic gardens, and garden magazines published in this period. We show that both the Italian and the French tulip remained in cultivation in Northern Europe, but also that most sources mention the Italian origin. The French tulip, linked to the subspecies T. sylvestris subsp. australis, is prominent in Scandinavian sources and occasionally appears in sources from the Netherlands, England and the German-speaking area. Furthermore, T. sylvestris was apparently exchanged on a regular basis between botanic gardens in Northern Europe around the second half of the 19th century. Finally, we demonstrate that in Friesland, a province in the north of the Netherlands where T. sylvestris still grows abundantly in historical gardens, many of the current locations coincide with historical and cultural sites, and the design of parks in landscape style in the 18th and 19th century.

This work investigates the behavior of dolomites during sorption-enhanced gasification in dual interconnected fluidized bed systems for the production of H2-rich syngas. Two sorbents, one of Italian origin, the other of Polish origin, with CaO content ranging from 60 to 63 wt %, and MgO content around 32-33 wt %, were subjected to calcination/carbonation cycles (10 cycles for each test) in a lab-scale apparatus. In particular, the temperature of the fluidized bed carbonation stage was varied between 600 and 700 °C, both in the absence and in the presence of water vapor. With an eye to the role of the operating conditions, for each material, the following aspects were investigated: CO2 capture capacity, fragmentation tendency, and elutriation phenomena upon surface wear. The discussion was then extended by recalling previous results obtained on a set of 6 limestones (rich in Ca) under the same operating conditions through a comparison analysis between the behavior of dolomites versus limestones. In particular, it was observed that steam is capable of positively influencing the dolomite behavior in terms of CO2 capture; the elutriation rate is markedly more relevant upon calcination than carbonation, negatively affected by the presence of steam, and less extensive for sorbents showing higher CO2 capture. Normalizing the CO2 capture on the CaO content, the performance of dolomites is comparable to that of limestones, although dolomites have a more fragile structure that increases their tendency to undergo fluidized bed fragmentation.

Abstract During the Second World War, hundreds of thousands of American soldiers of Italian origin were drafted into the US military and sent to fight overseas against the Axis powers. For many, this was an opportunity to demonstrate their loyalty to the country and remove suspicions raised by Italian communities’ ties with the Fascist regime. The prospect of fighting in their homeland aroused mixed feelings among those who were sent to Italy from June 1943. On the one hand, the presence of cultural and family ties stimulated the establishment of supportive relations with Italians and was seen by Washington as a useful tool for promoting ‘good occupation’ policies in Italy. However, the ethnic background of these soldiers did not always act as a socialisation factor with Italians, but sometimes gave rise to contradictory and even hostile attitudes that were linked to harsh judgements about Italians’ responsibilities for Fascism and their predisposition, or otherwise, to democracy. This article reconstructs the contribution made by these ethnic personnel to the liberation of the peninsula and the particular views they held of Italy and Italians between war and liberation.

‘Parola’ is a Turkish word of Italian origin. Throughout history, it has been used by various civilizations as a security measure that distinguishes friend from foe, primarily by military units and secret society. The use of passwords in the Ottoman army differed according to periods. In the Ottoman classical period (1300–1600), there are hints about the use of passwords in the army. In the eighteenth century, password usage in the Ottoman army was abandoned or not given enough importance. By the first half of the nineteenth century, the modern Ottoman army, like its European counterparts, began employing passwords as a security measure and password usage even became a reality of social life for a short period. The use of passwords entered the Ottoman Military Penal Code in the second half of the nineteenth century. This study focuses for the first time on password usage in the Ottoman Empire during the nineteenth century.

O Monumento à Independência é um dos maiores conjuntos escultóricos brasileiro, instalado à margem do riacho do Ipiranga e idealizado para ser elemento central das comemorações paulistas do centenário da emancipação brasileira, em 1922. A proposta de erguer um monumento de proporções inéditas no país partiu das elites políticas de São Paulo, que pretendiam, com a obra, vincular definitivamente o Sete de Setembro à colina do Ipiranga e destacar o protagonismo da cidade frente ao evento ocorrido cem anos antes. Em vista disso, promoveu-se o maior concurso internacional realizado até então no Brasil, com o objetivo de escolher o projeto mais adequado às intenções memorialísticas paulistas, que teve como vencedores o escultor Ettore Ximenes e o arquiteto Manfredo Manfredi, ambos de origem italiana. Este artigo dedica-se à análise do Monumento à Independência, investigando a sua idealização, construção e inauguração. A partir de notícias e caricaturas veiculadas em jornais, pretende-se examinar o processo de construção da obra, destacando as adversidades enfrentadas para a sua conclusão, que impactaram as comemorações do centenário em São Paulo, uma vez que a obra estava inacabada em 1922.

L’articolo fornisce un’introduzione generale alla presenza di parole di origine italiana in giapponese, confrontando la loro frequenza e diffusione con il corpus prevalentemente più ampio di loanword inglesi. Si evidenzia la specializzazione (e la sua evoluzione nel tempo) delle parole italiane all’interno di specifici campi semantici, come la musica, le belle arti e il cibo. L’articolo analizza poi le differenze fonologiche tra le due lingue, che limitano l’adattamento dei suoni e delle sequenze di suoni italiani in giapponese. Nel farlo, propone che queste differenze siano particolarmente enfatizzate dal fatto che le parole d’uso in Giappone sono trascritte utilizzando il sillabario katakana. Questa scrittura richiede che la loro forma fonologica sia adattata per allinearsi alle caratteristiche del sistema di scrittura giapponese, escludendo le caratteristiche fonologiche che non fanno parte della fonologia di questa lingua. I cambiamenti fonologici che le parole italiane subiscono durante il loro adattamento alla fonologia e alla scrittura giapponese sono sinteticamente elencati e descritti. L’articolo si concentra su fenomeni come le sostituzioni di suono, le inserzioni di vocali, le palatalizzazioni indotte dalla coarticolazione, tra gli altri. Inoltre, si presta attenzione ai criteri utilizzati per inserire le parole italiane in giapponese nel sistema di classificazione e trascrizione dell'OIM (Osservatorio degli Italianismi nel Mondo). Italianisms in Japanese. An introduction The paper provides a general introduction to the presence of words of Italian origin in Japanese, comparing their frequency and diffusion to the predominantly larger body of English loanwords. It highlights the specialization (and its evolution over time) of Italian words within specific semantic fields, such as music, fine arts, and food. The paper then analyzes the phonological differences between the two languages, which constrain the adaptation of Italian sounds and sound sequences in Japanese. In doing so, it proposes that these differences are particularly emphasized by the fact that loanwords in Japan are transcribed using the katakana syllabary. This script requires that their phonological form be adapted to align with the features the Japanese writing system can represent, excluding phonological characteristics that are not part of Japanese phonology. The phonological changes that Italian words undergo during their adaptation to Japanese phonology and writing are listed and described in summary. The paper focuses on phenomena such as sound substitutions, vowel insertions, coarticulation-induced palatalizations, among others. Additionally, some attention is given to the criteria used to incorporate Italian loanwords in Japanese into the OIM (Osservatorio degli Italianismi nel Mondo) classification and transcription system.

While the influence of dive fashion on the cross-class audience of Italian silent cinema has been established, the relationship between fashion and silent Hollywood stresses the class-composition of the audience. The work of director Robert G. Vignola, born in Italy but active in the United States, clarifies the passage from a cinema addressed to the popular audience of the nickelodeon to the middle class, and specifically women, in the narrative and through stars, within the suggestions of fashion. There is a general consensus about Italian American culture being an extension of Italianness. In the press, Vignola was always identified as an Italian and his artistic sensibility was credited to his Italian origins, at a time where Italian silent cinema was incredibly popular on American screens. From a transnational perspective, the role of fashion in his work both within a historical perspective and in the theoretical debate on female silent film spectatorship also points to the underestimated relations between American media and Italian culture.

The illuminated parchment Biblia latina from the collection of N.P. Rumyantsev (Russian State Library. F. 256. N 816, olim F. 183.I N 245), dated in catalogs to the 14th century, was previously considered to be of Italian origin. The paleographic and codicological study of the codex showed that the place of its creation was Southern France. Our discovery of notes in Latin and Old Occitan in the manuscript (the study of L.I. Shchegoleva is devoted to them) required a more detailed analysis of the marginalia contained in the manuscript, which are important for clarifying the dating and origin of the codex, as well as for studying the history of its use in the Middle Ages and Modern times. Paleographic analysis of marginalia allowed to identify more than a dozen handwritings and trace the behavioral strategies of editors and readers of the manuscript. The study of marginalia confirmed the hypothesis of the use of the Rumyantsev Bible by intellectuals of the XIV-XV centuries for composing sermons or writing other texts. The analysis of the codicological features of the Rumyantsev Bible made it possible to outline the criteria for the initial stage of identification of southern French manuscripts and raise the question of identifying other medieval manuscripts from the Occitan region in Russian archives and libraries.

This paper analyzed some two-syllable nouns of Italian origin in the Serbian language (30) using the Dictionary of the Serbian Language of Matica srpska (171). The research was conducted through an online survey based on associative analysis that included the first 10 most frequent associations that the subjects made when asked to express their opinion about these nouns, as well as the use of two-syllable nouns of Italian origin in relation to synonyms of domestic origin. The results showed that prejudices and stereotypes are not represented to a greater extent. Prosodically, the two-syllable nouns in the research showed adaptation to the system of the Serbian language, and the subjects do not have prejudices against them, but in most of them the post-accent length is lost in the model of short-rising accent + post-accent length

The paper analyzes the verb constructions composed of the verb with incomplete meanings(u)činiti (se) and nouns or adjectives of foreign origin as lexical meaning in Bosniak epic poems using the example of Parry-Lord’s collection from 1953. Such constructions in the verse structure fill the position of the predicate, either decomposed (verb + noun) or semi-copulative (verb + adjective), and are one of the characteristic features of the oral epic style. The conducted research confirms that the adjectives in these predicates are invariably of oriental origin, and the nouns are mostly of oriental and rarely of Italian and Albanian origin. The purpose of the analysis is not only to give a description of these constructions, but also to explain the reasons for their high frequency. Their frequent use in epic poetry is a reflection of the desire for simplicity, which epic singers fulfill by using traditional patterns of epic formulas: by replacing one noun or adjective with another same syllabic noun or adjective in these constructions the formulas of the second half-verse are very easily created. The simplicity of using these constructions in composing verses favors the frequency of their use. The list of all those constructions from the selected corpus is given in the form of a dictionary article, the structure of which includes an accented determiner, an etymological determiner, an indication of the type of word, a lexicographic (stylistic) determiner, a description of the meaning and an example.

The so-called Ítalo-Paulistano dialect, a presumed contact language variety that emerged in the context of Italian migration in São Paulo during the first decades of the 20th century, is frequently mentioned by scholars and writers. Of this dialect, however, we have practically no consistent documentary record. A small number of studies or notes are used as a basis to recognize its existence. This article carries out a critical assessment of this set of studies and notes, identifying the definition of dialect that each author uses and how they interpret the linguistic context of São Paulo, especially in regard to the population of Italian origin. In the same sense, we evaluate how these studies approach the problem of data collection and how their procedure is related to a plurality of meanings of the term dialect and an imprecise delimitation of the object. Our main objective is to identify the premises and foundations of these studies and relate them to the theoretical context of dialect studies in Brazil, especially from Amadeu Amaral’s O dialecto caipira (1920), and with the consolidation of the Ítalo-Paulistano dialect classification to refer to literary representations of the language of the Italo-Paulistanos in comic texts such as those by Juó Bananére or in the chronicles of Alcântara Machado.